Leaving the Training Ground, Lin Chen returned straight to the Secluded Cottage.
He closed the door and locked it.
In the dim room, he sat cross-legged on the bed, his eyes slightly closed.
The temporary power of the Heavenly Dao and the Uchiha Second Bloodline Potential he had plundered today were slowly being refined within him.
Deep within his eyes, a phantom tomoe so faint it was almost invisible was slowly taking shape.
Only the thinnest barrier remained before he officially awakened the One-Tomoe Sharingan.
Lin Chen tapped his fingertips lightly against his knee, his mind perfectly clear.
After he had thwarted Sasuke twice in succession and crippled the Heavenly Dao's corrective pawn, the Will of the World would never let the matter rest.
Moving the Graduation Exam forward and raising its difficulty were merely appetizers.
It would surely find a way to patch up Naruto's and Sasuke's storylines and stabilize the growth of Heaven's Chosen Protagonists.
Especially Naruto.
Having lost his opportunity with the Scroll of Seals, he struggled to master even the most basic Clone Technique. There was no way he could pass the Graduation Exam.
The Heavenly Dao would inevitably intervene in secret and give him another opportunity.
There was no reason to turn down an opportunity delivered right to his door.
Lin Chen opened his eyes, a cold gleam flashing through them.
He rose and changed into dark casual clothes, instantly activating his max-level Concealment Technique.
His presence vanished completely, and he blended into the night.
Outside Naruto's cottage in Konoha's Poor District.
The night was deep, and the surroundings were utterly silent.
Lin Chen hid in the shadows among the treetops, his presence completely concealed, like a ghost merged with the darkness.
With the Root Top-Tier Stealth Technique at his disposal, even a Jonin arriving in person might not detect his whereabouts, let alone an ordinary ninja.
He did not wait long.
A furtive figure quietly crept over.
The newcomer had his face masked and his body covered, his chakra concealed. He clutched a pale blue chakra scroll.
A ninja from Root's outer ranks.
The Heavenly Dao was using Konoha to deliver Naruto some "makeup exam benefits."
The corners of Lin Chen's lips lifted slightly.
It was exactly as he had predicted.
The light came on inside the cottage, and Naruto opened the door, rubbing his eyes, his face full of confusion.
"Who are you?"
"On orders from the higher-ups, I'm here to deliver a Temporary Training Scroll."
The masked ninja's voice was hoarse as he thrust the scroll toward him. "Master the Clone Technique within three days, and you'll graduate without trouble. Don't tell anyone."
Naruto's eyes instantly lit up. He accepted the scroll with both hands, nodding repeatedly in excitement.
"Really? That's great! I'll definitely pass the exam!"
At the very instant Naruto's fingertips touched the scroll-
Lin Chen moved.
Without a sound, his figure flickered, and he appeared before them.
"Something this good-why not give me a share?"
His cool voice suddenly rang out.
The masked ninja jolted and whipped his head around, his eyes filled with horror.
He had been on guard the entire time, yet he had not sensed anyone approaching at all!
"Who?!"
Naruto was startled too. When he recognized the newcomer, he cried out, "Lin Chen?!"
Seeing that things had gone wrong, the masked ninja said nothing and raised his hand, launching a surprise kunai strike.
Chakra coated the sharp blade as it shot straight toward Lin Chen's face.
His movements were crisp and decisive. His opening attack was a killing blow.
"You're asking for death!"
Lin Chen's expression did not change. He did not even raise a hand.
[Ding! Target locked: Root outer-rank Jonin candidate!] [Available to plunder: Chakra Enhancement Technique, Clone Technique Advancement Insights, Root Outer-Perimeter Stealth Technique!] [Critical multiplier: fivefold!]
Plunder.
The thought settled in his mind.
An invisible force instantly swept through his opponent's entire body.
The masked ninja's attack abruptly froze. His surging chakra scattered in an instant, and his kunai clattered to the ground.
"My chakra..."
His face filled with terror. Before he could finish speaking, Lin Chen casually struck his chest with a palm.
Thud!
He flew backward and slammed into the wall, losing consciousness completely.
The entire exchange took less than a second.
Naruto stared, dumbfounded, nearly dropping the scroll in his hands.
Lin Chen's gaze fell on the pale blue scroll.
[Ding! Chakra Enhancement Scroll detected. Contains Clone Technique Advancement Origin!] [Plunder all the origin within the scroll?]
Plunder.
A silent devouring force swept over the scroll.
The scroll remained perfectly intact on the outside, but the core insights and enhancement effects within had been drained completely.
It had become a useless, empty shell.
Lin Chen raised his eyes and looked at the dazed Naruto.
With Naruto so close, he helped himself to another round of fortune.
[Ding! Plundered a trace of Nine-Tails Fortune. Chakra endurance slightly increased!] [Target Naruto: opportunity lost once again. Graduation Exam difficulty covertly increased!]
"This scroll is useless."
Lin Chen spoke indifferently. "If you want to graduate, shortcuts won't help."
Naruto froze for a moment, then looked a little aggrieved. "But... I'm really bad at the Clone Technique..."
"Then practice."
Lin Chen's tone was flat, without a trace of emotion. "You'll never get far relying on things other people give you."
With that, he lingered no longer. He turned and melted into the night.
From beginning to end, he had neither explained why he had come nor wasted any words.
He had never been a guide in Naruto's life.
He was the variable that plundered opportunities and rewrote destiny.
On the way back to the cottage, system notifications kept refreshing.
[Ding! Fivefold critical plunder complete!] [Obtained: Chakra Enhancement Technique proficiency, Clone Technique full mastery, Advanced Stealth Skills!] [Host's chakra control has risen another level. Only half a step remains to the Jonin threshold!]
Lin Chen walked steadily, without a ripple in his heart.
The Heavenly Dao had gone to such lengths to patch up the plot, only for its efforts to benefit him in the end.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
On the day of the Graduation Exam, morning sunlight bathed the Training Ground.
All the students gathered there, the atmosphere tense and solemn.
Iruka held the roster, his expression grave.
Kakashi and the Third remained hidden in the shadows of the stands, their gazes falling in unison on the slender figure in the field.
The exam had yet to begin, but undercurrents were already stirring.
Lin Chen stood among the crowd, his expression calm.
He could clearly sense several concealed chakra signatures around the Training Ground.
The Heavenly Dao's corrections and Konoha's probes had all converged on this day.
This exam was destined to be anything but peaceful.
But he was not afraid.
However much came his way, he would take it all.
Every attempt to suppress him was fuel for his ascent to the top.
Before you continue